Just lucien maurice



No. 60,902. Patented Jan. 7, i899.

' w .1. L. MAUWEE ea F. CHAPLET; MEANS FUR STOPPING SHUT HOLES IN WATER TIGHT GDFJI-PARTMENTS OF SHIPS.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1898.)

(No Model.)

ffafifnes s'eJ- hi HI I f I iin'irsn iirs rss iP eiirentr JUST LUOIEN neunronorrnnrs, AND Fnnnn nc CHAPLET, OFLA'VAL, FRANCE. 5

hil-iANS FOR STOPPING SHOT-HOLES iii WATER-TIGHT CGMPARTMENTS 0F SHlPS.

Application filed March 8,1896% Elerial No. 673,080i. (llo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jns'r LUCIENMAU- RICE, a resident of Paris, and Fnnnsmo CHAP- LET, a resident of Laval, France, citizens of.

the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful improvement in or Relating to 7 endnse of cubes, balls, or forms 0t an y de;

sired. shape ii inter surface or envelop of which is im; cable and the density of which is .ull iowerthan that of water, whereby, whatever be their shape, they are capable of floating in water. These buoyant bodies are placed in the Water-tight compartment. The substance of which these floats are composed is compressible and slightly elastic and plastic, so that under pressure they are adapted to press against the hole and to close it. It" a shell bursts in a water-tight con1- pertinent, the eiiect of its explosion'is minimixed by these compressible and elastic bodies. These bodies may be formed in many ways-e i 2-" instance, in the following way: 1. T71. ih' mg.-'i he inner fillingniay be const I oya mixture of asbestos fibers,

of which the lightest and most elastic are cho n, and ol good quality horsehair, This mixture, which. we call uni'ullmnmablo felt, is practically iinilanunabie and does not decon'i r the same time is elastic.

.c oufr," core)- or GHUl/rUiL K llfi cover ist, say, or" asbest .lot'h rendered U or of any ordinary canvas or red practically uninilaminabie and iniperincabi -es, for instance, hemp or linen canvr as p l anilnseil. or manufactureubical shape with a side of about thirtythree centimeters. The density of the fleets is about one hundred to one hundred and twenty kiio rams percubic meter, according to the material and the manner in which it is arranged.

In case a ships armor or side becomes pierced by a shell the iiests act as follows: "Water enters the breach either-directly or owing to the rolling of the ship or to the movement of the weves; A portion of this water passes directly into the ship beyond the inner wall of the cellular portion if the pressure of water is strongand sudden; butthe greater portion will enter the water-tight compertinent. This water at once raises the floats, which lil ea movable LtlVQ, rise and...

form a screen or packing between the two holes made by the shell. The upward pressure of water on the floats, the uppenrow of which is stopped by the top of the chamber, expands them in the direction of their width, thereby pressing them against the walls, and thus practically closing both the inner end the'outer holes in a sufficientlywater-tight manner.

In the-accompanying drawings we have illustrated'our invention as applied to the water-tight compartment of a ship or vessel.

Figure 1 is a sectional view through said Water-tight compartment, the buoyant obtursting bodies being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the action of the buoyant bodies in closing a lea-1r or breach, such as caused by a projectile; and Fig, 3 is a detailed sectional view through. one of the buoyant obiurai-ing bodies.

In said drawings, it represents the hull or outer wall of the vessel, and Z) the inner wall of one of the water-tight compartments thereof.

0 c are the buoyant obturaiing bodies, constructcd, as above described, of an inner filling oi. asbestos iibor and horsehair it and an outer cover or envelop e of asbestos cloth or the like. The bodies ere preferably arranged in vertical rows, as shown in the ill'il-\\"- lugs, and do not completely iill the compartxnent'.

' in Fig. 2,]f' are openings through-the walls r ample, by a projectile. Water entering the compartment through the opening f tends to .lioat the bodies 0, those in the lower part of ff, a portion of one of the bodies 0 in Fig. 2

being forced into the inner openingf', tightly closing the same and preventing water from" passing into theotherparts of the ship,

W'e claim I 1. An obturating body for use'in the Watertight compartment of a ship or vessel, said body consisting of an inner filling of asbestos fiber and horsehair and an outer envelop or covering of asbestos cloth, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the Water-tight compartment of a ship or vessel, of a plurality of elastic compressible buoyant bodies in said compartment, but not completely filling the same, whereby water entering the com partment tends to float the bodies and com presses them into close contact with the top and side walls of the same, thereby stopping leaks or holes theret-hrough, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the water-tight compartment of a ship or vessel, of a plurality of elastic compressible buoyant bodies arranged one above another in vertical rowsin said compartment, but not completely filling the same, whereby water entering the compartment tends to float the bodies and compresses them. into close contact with the top and side walls of the same, thereby stopping leaks or holes therethrough, substantially as described. r

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

JUST LU CIEN MAURICE.

FREDERIC onArL's'r.

1 Witnesses: r

EDW RD P. MACLEAN,

ANTOINE ROUNANNOR'F. 

